Desert Cut

December 3, 2007
Scouting locations with her film director boyfriend on a sparkling mountain morning, Arizona cop-turned-PI Lena Jones stumbles across a nightmare: the freshly dumped corpse of a little girl. Instantly it's personal, for, as fans of Webb's previous four Jones mysteries know, her feisty sleuth suffered a horrific childhood in foster care. Not getting involved simply isn't an option for Lena, especially once she learns that the dead girl suffered gruesome sexual mutilation—and that another child of around the same age, seven, has already gone missing from the small town of Los Perdidos. Then two more girls vanish. As in Webb's earlier adventures—particularly Desert Wives
(2003), with its critically praised exposé of contemporary polygamy—the longtime journalist manages to fuel her plot from the starkest of news stories without compromising the fast-paced action. Though some may want to skim the more graphic passages, the intrepid will be rewarded with a propulsive, thought-provoking read.

December 15, 2007
Young girls are disappearing in Los Perdidos, AZ, and PI Lena Jones, who is helping director Warren Quinn scout locations for a documentary, can't walk away after they discover a mutilated corpse. Her probing leads to danger and a chance for self-discovery. Whether investigating a polygamy scandal ("Desert Wives") or exploring a former German POW camp in the Sonoran Desert ("Desert Run"), this Southwestern series has a depth that enhances the reader's pleasure. For those who liked the early Marcia Muller novels. Webb lives in Arizona.

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from December 1, 2007
Private investigator Lena Jones (Desert Run, 2006, and Desert Noir, 2001) is busy helping her boyfriend, movie director Warren Quinn, with his documentary on Arizona's Apache Wars. While scouting locations for the film, they discover a young girl's body. Lena feels compelled to investigate?the victimsomehow reminds her of herself and her own difficult childhood?and soon winds up in a squabble with the sheriff of Los Perdidos, a small town with a large secret. The town, founded by the descendants of pioneers who fought Geronimo, now includes many legal foreign residents who work at a chemical plant as well as illegal immigrants who cross the Arizona-Mexico border. When two more girls disappear, Lena senses that there is something sinister in the town. This is a first-rate plot that mixes the history of Geronimo's war with contemporary immigration issues and contrasts the harsh conditions of border life with Hollywood glitz. It also sheds light on the cruelty of an ancient custom and a growing underground railroad working to save its victims. It is a compelling story that will appeal to a broad range of mystery readers?and may bring increased attention to a too-little-known series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)